The Gift
by AchikaMiyu
Summary: Sakura knew nothing about the world of shinobi. She was only a high school student who happened to have a guardian angel. But her guardian angel was more than an angel: he was a shinobi. REVISED 12/29/09; last chapter only.
1. Angels We Have Heard On High

**The Gift**

Inspired by the song "The Gift" by Jim Brickman.

* * *

**Chapter 1: Angels We Have Heard On High**

I don't clearly remember when I first met him. I just know that he had always been there. Since as far back as I can remember he's protected me. Sometimes I would catch glimpses of blond hair peaking out behind a wall or see a flash of orange skipping away across the rooftops. I didn't know what he was at the time, so I merely called him my guardian angel. My parents thought I was a child with a vivid imagination. "Sakura's imaginary friend," they could call him. But I knew better.

When I was five, I tried climbing a tree in our back yard. It was a huge oak tree. Being an adventurous child at the time, I was so sure I could climb it; I didn't even think I could possibly slip and fall. Well, I did. And if it weren't for my guardian angel to catch me, I don't know what would have happened. All I know is that he saved me that day. Now that I think about it that was probably the first time I learned that my guardian angel was a he and that he had the bluest eyes I had ever seen. Of course, just as quickly as he rushed in to save me, he disappeared in a swirl of leaves. I had no scratches or even a bruise when I was placed safely on the ground, but my memory of that incident has been with me forever. My parents never found out about what happened and I would never tell them.

Throughout my childhood, I tried talking to my guardian angel. I would sit beside my window chatting away with him as if I were talking to my best friend, Ino. He would never respond back, but somehow I knew that he was listening just outside my window. I don't know how; call it intuition if you will. I just knew that we had a connection and he would always be there for me. I didn't know it at the time, but he would eventually start talking it me. It probably all started when I began talking to him about boys back when I was twelve.

* * *

"You know, Ino and I were talking and we both agreed that the two Uchiha brothers were the hottest boys in town. Though Ino said, and I quote, 'Itachi is the sexist man alive in the 21st century.' Sure Itachi is really hot and all, but he's like old. I know eighteen isn't really all that old, but compared to me it is. Anyway, Ino says that she's going to marry Itachi and I should marry Sasuke. Maybe we can have a double-wedding."

"What!"

I jumped in shock after hearing a voice. "Who's that? Hello?"

"Um, Hi," a male spoke from outside.

Opening the window, I tried to find the source of the voice. No one has ever responded whenever I was talking to my guardian angel. "Who's there?"

"No one really, just your friendly guardian angel," the voice echoed from the roof.

"Guardian angel! Really!?! But, you've never talked before. How do I know that you're really my guardian angel and not some creep on the roof of my house?"

"I know that when you were seven, you lost your special ribbon Ino had given to you. You searched in the woods for hours trying to find it. I remember you begging me that night to find it for you and put it under your pillow so when you woke-up you'd know first thing in the morning."

So he was the one who found the ribbon. I always suspected since I asked him to find it for me, but I wasn't sure if it was all a dream. "And you did find it, and you did put it under my pillow. But you could have heard that story from Ino or my parents so I'm still not convinced it's you."

The voice chuckled. "You always were a smart one. Okay, how about this. This is something that I'm sure only your guardian angel would know. Every year for your birthday and for Christmas, you ask that you can see me, except last Christmas you asked that I would actually talk to you."

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. I never told anyone about my secret wishes. "You are my guardian angel. He's the only one who knows that. So, now that you're finally talking to me, can I see you?"

"Um, maybe next year?"

"So I guess instead of getting to see you this year, you're going to get me a bunch of flowers like you always do," I sighed. The flowers were flattering and nice, but it wasn't the same.

"I want to show you, but I'm just not ready yet."

"Why not?"

"It's . . . complicated. But now that we're talking, maybe I can ask you what you'd want instead of flowers?"

I tapped my finger on my lips and smiled. "I want Sasuke Uchiha to notice me."

My guardian angel's foot slipped and I caught a brief glimpse of a black sneaker as he scrambled back onto the roof. "You want Sasuke to notice you?"

"Yes. If I'm ever going to be able to have that double-wedding with Ino, I better start getting Sasuke to notice me." Better late than never after-all.

"Do you like him?"

I had to pause when he asked me that question. It really wasn't something that I considered. "He's cute enough I guess."

"Is that all he is . . . cute?"

"Well, he's smart and athletic too. What's with the twenty questions?"

"I just wanted to make sure. But if that's what you really want for Christmas, than consider it done."

"You can do that? You can get Sasuke to notice me?" I knew that my guardian angel was great at protecting me, but I didn't think he could also help me get a boyfriend. It wasn't something that you asked your guardian angel for. Fairy godmother: yes, that I could see. But he was far from a fairy godmother. More like a fairy god-brother or god-best friend.

"You have my word. I will do my best to get Sakura her Christmas gift."

I smiled. It was nice finally being able to talk to him rather than talking to dead air. "So if you're giving me something for Christmas, what do you want?"

"You want to give me something?" the voice asked excitedly.

"Of course. You've been there to protect me all of these years; it's only fair that I give you something for Christmas."

"I want a lock of your hair for Christmas."

I fingered my pink locks staring at it curiously. If it would make him happy, I'd gladly give him as much as he asked. "Alright. I'll do that. What should I call you anyway? I don't want to call you Guardian Angel all of the time if you have a real name. Do you have a real name?"

"Um, my real name?"

"Yeah, your real name."

"Just call me Angel for now."

"I don't get to know your real name?" I laughed. At this point, I was glad to be able to talk to him so his real name didn't matter. Though it would be nice.

"Maybe one day. But that's it for now."

"Will you really tell me your name?"

"Yeah, I will."

"Will you tell me everything about you? How long you've been watching over me? Where do you go during the day? What do you like to eat?"

Angel chuckled. "It's late Sakura. I'll answer all of your questions in time. We have lots of time."

"Okay. Tomorrow night then?"

"Yes, tomorrow night. Goodnight, Sakura."

"Goodnight, Angel."

I went to bed that night sleeping more peacefully than I ever had. There were so many questions that I had for him. So many things I wanted to know. But I now knew for a fact that my guardian angel was real. He had been there for me since as far back as I can remember and he was going to be there for me. Always.

* * *

"Angel, have you ever been in love?"

"Yeah, I have."

"What was it like?"

"It was . . . it was everything I imagined it would be and more."

"How did you know you were in love?"

"I always thought about her. Every second of every hour, I thought about her. Even now I think about her. She was the main reason I lived and the only reason why I haven't gone completely insane."

He sounded so pained. I couldn't picture anything dragging Angel's mood down. "What do you mean by that?"

"I . . . I think I said too much."

I was genuinely curious now. There wasn't much that Angel would ever tell me about himself so anything was definitely something. "It won't hurt me if you tell me more about yourself you know. If fact, it might make you feel better."

"Really? Where did you hear that?"

"Ino. Why do you think I tell her everything or even you for that matter? Telling people what's on your mind helps get things off of your chest."

"Do you really tell Ino everything?" Angel asked cautiously.

"Well, I don't tell her about you." I love Ino, she's a great friend. But I doubt that she would understand what Angel was. Thirteen year-old girls weren't supposed to have guardian angels they talked to at night. Even I don't really know what he was, but I trust him.

Angel breathed a sigh of relief. "I'm glad about that. Ino never could keep her mouth shut."

"That's Ino for you. You know, you talk as if you've met her. Have you?"

"Sakura, you tell me everything about your life. Has there ever been a conversation where you haven't complained about Ino or mentioned her at least once?"

"Yeah, you're right. It's just the way you said it makes it sound like you've met her."

"You've told me so much about all of your friends; it really feels like I've met them before."

"I know. I feel like I know everything about you, but at the same time I don't know a thing. Can you guess how frustrating that is?"

"I'm sure pretty frustrating."

"Well, how about you show me what you look like for Christmas this year?"

"Um, maybe next year."

I slumped my shoulders in defeat. I knew if I were persistent, I would make him crack eventually. "Can I ask for something else?"

"Of course."

"Will you tell me a little more about yourself? What did you do before you met me? How long have you been watching over me?"

"That's all you want for Christmas from me this year?"

"Yes. Please?"

"Alright. I'll tell you a little more about myself. I've been watching over you since you were an infant. It was chance that I found you actually. I was passing through when I happened to hear a baby crying. I looked around to see where the sound was coming from and then I saw you. You were in your mother's arms being rocked to sleep. I saw you in your nursery with your little tuff of pink hair and sea green eyes and then I knew. I knew that I had to protect you. And I've been watching over you ever since and keeping guard outside your window every night, listening to your voice as you talked to me."

"Why did you choose me?"

"Because you reminded me of someone very important to me. My most precious person."

I could hear the longing and affection in his voice. It was touching. "The girl you were in love with, right?"

"Yeah. Her."

"What was she like?"

"She was beautiful. Strong. Strong-willed. But also the most caring person in the world when you got to know her. She knew how to speak her mind, that's for sure. She also had a mean right-hook if you ever pissed her off. But she was loyal and determined. She was the best wife a man could have. Even after . . . even after she knew that she was going to die before I ever would, she still stayed with me."

"I'm sorry."

"It's alright. I've come to terms with that a long, long time ago."

"When did she pass away?"

Angel laughed. "Far longer than I could put words to."

"So you're some old guy?" I asked in disbelief. The brief glimpse I got of Angel back when I was five was not of some old geezer.

"What! No! I'm not old . . . well; I'm not an old looking guy."

"Then how old are you?" I knew if I did my math correctly, he had to be at least thirty if he saw me as a baby. But the way he talked about his lost love made him sound much, much older, as if he was in his sixties or even worse: nineties.

"I honestly don't know how old I am."

If he didn't even know how old he was, did that mean he was ancient? I tried picturing Angel with a long beard and wrinkles, but the picture didn't fit. "Well, how old do you look?"

"Do you really want to know?"

"I wouldn't be asking if I wasn't curious."

"Probably around sixteen or seventeen."

Sixteen or seventeen? As in a teenager? That was only three or four years older than me! That couldn't be right since he had to be much older. I was beginning to suspect I was dealing with a guardian angel who was more supernatural than human. "You're not a vampire are you?"

"Of course not! I know you and Ino are really into that book series about vampires, but I'm not a vampire."

"Good, that's a relief. But you've lived for a very long time, haven't you? Longer than any normal human should live."

"Yeah, I have. I guess you could almost say that I'm immortal. But I wasn't like that at first."

"What happened?"

"I don't think I'm ready to tell you about that yet. Maybe next year, but not yet," Angel said with a lilt of sadness.

"You don't have to tell me yet if you're not ready. I don't really like talking to you when you get all emo and depressed on me."

"So you don't like emo and depressed guys?"

"No, not really." And that was the truth. The one thing that I've never told Angel or Ino was how I had a thing for guys with sunshine blond hair and sky-blue eyes. It was one of those secrets that would be too embarrassing to tell.

"By the way, how are things going with your pursuit of Sasuke?"

"It's not a pursuit! It's just something that Ino's trying to convince me of because I _have_ to be married to Sasuke if she's marrying Itachi," I responded indignantly.

"Sure, sure. Still going with that excuse. You can tell me if you have real feelings for Sasuke. I'm your guardian angel, remember?" Angel teased.

"Honestly, I don't know what I really feel about him. I mean, you made good on your Christmas gift last year and Sasuke has been talking to me and has noticed me. I just don't know if what I feel is because Ino's been telling me everyday how cute Sasuke is and how perfect we would be for each other or if what I feel are my true feelings."

Angel paused for a long time before finally responding. "Sakura, you're a smart girl. You're also still young. Give it some time and I'm sure that everything will work itself out."

"And if it doesn't? If I don't ever really know if I am in love with Sasuke? I mean, how do you know when you've finally fallen in love?"

"You don't. That's part of the mystery."

"That's the same answer I got from my Mom."

"Well, she's a wise woman."

I snorted at that comment. My mother probably knew more than I did, but I thought Angel would have a different answer. After all, there hadn't been a question that he didn't seem to have a logical answer for. I just had to remember never to ask him about feminine hygiene. Mom was the expert in that department. "Angel, if you think I've fallen in love or it looks like I have, will you let me know?"

"I will Sakura. I will."

"Thanks. Since you've given me my gift, what do you want for Christmas this year?"

"A home-cooked meal."

"My Mom won't let me in the kitchen yet. All I can cook is instant ramen."

"That's perfect! Anything you make will be perfect," Angel answered with excitement.

I was grateful that he didn't mind my lack of culinary skills. I had to urge my mother to start teaching me how to cook. After all, how was I going to satisfy Angel if the only home-cooked meal that I can provide him was instant ramen? There were a lot of things that I wanted to do to impress Angel. I didn't know what it was. It was like a compulsion, but I knew that every time I did something to make Angel happy, I was happy.

* * *

"I feel so sorry for Ino. She's completely devastated."

"Itachi was older by several years if I remember correctly."

"I know, but she's had it in her mind since we were twelve that she was going to marry Itachi. Now that he's engaged to someone else, she doesn't know what to do," I explained. Though honestly, I had seen it coming. Itachi was around six years her senior and a genius who was already in grad school. A man like that wasn't likely going to pay any attention to a fourteen-year-old girl whom he barely knew. I think he'd more likely think of Ino as jailbait than as a potential wife.

"I'm sure that Ino will be able to get over it. She's a tough girl."

"Yeah, you're probably right. I just hate to see her so depressed. I wish I could cheer her up."

"You and Ino are that close, huh?"

"Yep, best friends for life. I still even have the red ribbon she gave me as a kid."

"I remember finding it for you in the woods. You know, your hair looked really cute when it was short."

I don't know why that statement struck a chord with me, but I blushed as I fingered my long locks. "Ino told me she thought Sasuke only liked girls with long hair."

Angel coughed uncomfortably at that statement. "So, now that Ino doesn't really have a chance with Itachi, is she still expecting you to marry Sasuke? You know . . . the whole double-wedding thing?"

I laughed remembering the conversation I had with Ino earlier. "She's even more convinced that I need to be with Sasuke now."

"What? How come?"

"Her diabolical plan is for me to marry Sasuke and of course for her to be my Maid-of-Honor. Since Sasuke and Itachi are so close, she's certain that Itachi will be Sasuke's Best Man and therefore Ino will have a chance to show Itachi what he's missing out on," I laughed. "I know pretty stupid, huh? But that's Ino for you."

"Have you figured out if you still want to pursue him?"

I honestly didn't know how to answer that question. The past few years I've developed a growing relationship with Sasuke, but I don't know if I could see myself going past the boundaries of friendship. "He seems nice enough and he is smart. But it's not like he's asked me out or anything. I don't think he's ever asked a girl out yet."

"He's only what? Fourteen? Give him some time. I'm sure that every guy at your school would be willing to date a good looking girl like you."

"I'm hardly the most desired girl in school."

"Well, you should be."

That comment made my skin burn with embarrassment. If Angel were a guy in my class, I knew that I would have been pursing him instead of Sasuke. Though a part of me wondered what type of girls Angel would be interested in. I remember that he talked about his late-wife very fondly and painted her as a strong woman with a gentle demeanor. "Can you tell me more about your life, before you became immortal?"

"Do you really want to know?"

I sensed a bit of hesitance in Angel's voice. "I would. In fact, maybe that can be my Christmas gift this year?"

"What? No asking to see if I would show you what I look like?"

"Will you?" I asked with excitement.

"No. But I'll grant your earlier request."

"Angel! That was mean!" I couldn't believe that he had jerked me around like that.

"You know I was joking Sakura. I'm still not ready to show you what I look like. But I think I'm ready to tell you more about my past."

I sat and listened to his story. It was something out of a fantasy novel. Apparently, Angel had lived in a time when people could wield spirit energy or chakra. These people were called shinobi. He told me about how he housed a nine-tailed demon fox and about the Akatsuki, a group bent on world domination using the tailed-beasts. I learned about the master-mind behind the evil organization, Madara. Madara had been trying to control a ten-tailed demon that was housed in the moon and use the demon's power to possess everyone in the world.

Angel really enjoyed talking about the final battle between Madara and his forces. How it marked the end of the fourth shinobi war. He seemed a bit confused as he recollected the events that occurred after he interrupted Madara's jutsu on the Juubi. All he seemed to remember was that there was a huge explosion, but after all of the dust had cleared, he was still alive and they had won. He also told me about being part of a prophecy to bring peace to the shinobi nations and his dream to become Hokage. Angel was proud that he had been able to fulfill that prophecy and become the leader of his village, those were his shining achievements. But most of all, he told me about his relationship with the love of his life.

I had to admit that I was taken aback when I learned that she and I shared the same hair and eye color. But it made complete sense. Now I understood why he was so adamant about being my protector and why he refused to let me see him. Because as much as he was glad that he met someone who reminded him of his late-wife, I wasn't the same person. And probably the biggest reason of all, I was only a mortal, destined to grow old and die long before he ever would.

The most heart-wrenching part of his story was listening to his raw emotions as he described learning that he didn't seem to age. How he and his wife had tried to have children after they were married, but hadn't been successful after years of trying. I think I cried when he started to tell me about day he found out he was never going to die.

"I can get hurt, but because of the Kyuubi, I always healed quickly. Well, after I defeated Madara, I began to change. No one noticed it at first because of my accelerated recovery times, but now I started healing almost instantaneously. I didn't tire as quickly. I also didn't feel the Kyuubi's chakra anymore. It was as if he had been absorbed into me. I really couldn't explain the feeling.

"After my wife had turned thirty and we still hadn't had any luck getting pregnant, she decided to run a few tests. She had always joked that married life did wonders for me since I didn't look a day over sixteen. Thinking back, I wish she had been wrong. She was a great medic-nin also, so she took some samples to see if either one of us was infertile. Being a host to a demon does stuff to your body that the average person doesn't have to deal with, so we did some tests.

"As it turned out, the cells in my body were static. Somehow, they weren't processing normally. They would regenerate when destroyed, but they would only regenerate to their original state and wouldn't progress further. My cells weren't aging, so I wasn't aging."

I was considered a bright girl, but I was no biology major. Though I understood the basic concept of what Angel was saying, it still didn't explain why he couldn't have kids. "If your cells weren't dead, then how is it that could couldn't have children?"

"My wife was better at explaining this than I am. She told me that though the DNA was there, the sperm's cells weren't progressing to cause the egg to fertilize. To put it simply, it's not like I was shooting blanks. It's just that what I shot didn't explode."

"So, even outside your body, your cells didn't progress? What about artificial insemination or something like that?"

"Oh, we tried. Trust me. We tried. But none of that worked. So we did the next best thing we could do. We adopted. My wife was made to be a mother. Even if those kids weren't our own flesh and blood, we loved them like they were our own," Angel said wistfully.

"What were their names?"

"The oldest was a boy named Jiro. We adopted him when he was five. His parents had both been killed in a fire. The second was a sweet little girl we named Midori. She had no father and her mother died at birth. My wife always wanted a baby girl, so we adopted her as an infant."

"What was your wife's name?"

Angel hesitated before finally answering. "I don't think I'm ready to tell you yet. Maybe in a few years."

I closed my eyes taking in everything that he has said. I couldn't image living the life that he did. I know that I would hate to see my family pass away before I did, especially knowing that I could never find my own peace. "You miss your family, don't you?"

"Yeah. It was hard watching my wife age and pass away. But probably the hardest for me was having to watch my children and grandchildren die. After a while, I stopped watching over my family line and started wandering the world. I probably would have gone insane if it weren't for my last promise to her, that I would find a way to still be the same person she fell in love with and I wouldn't succumb to the darkness. And then I met you. It's just like seeing her all over again, as if she's been reborn. And that gives me hope that my children have probably been reborn as well."

Those words put a smile on my face. "Does that make you happy?"

"It makes me very happy. Happier than I have been in a very long time."

"I'm really glad. You sound like the type of person who doesn't deserve to be sad."

"Well, I certainly have paid my dues. I guess I'm owed some pleasant days," Angel laughed.

"Thank you for telling me your life story. I'm honored that you let me hear it."

"It's what you wanted for Christmas, so I'm glad that I could tell you."

"Oh, that reminds me, what do you want for Christmas this year?"

"You know, you could give me that instant ramen that you gave me last year," Angel chuckled.

"Oh come on. You don't need that crap. I convinced my Mom to teach me how to cook and I gave you that bowl of home-made ramen a few months ago." I had slaved in the kitchen all day making sure that everything about that dish was perfect. I even put it in homemade noodles. Angel had apparently loved it so much all of the leftovers that I had saved in the fridge had mysteriously disappeared that same night.

"Fine. How about if you make me a home-made sweater."

"I can do that. What size are you and what color do you want?"

"I guess I'm about a medium. And how about black and orange."

"Consider it done!"

I wasn't sure what it was, but after tonight, I felt even closer to Angel than ever before. Maybe it had to do with hearing more about his past, especially about the woman who helped shaped him. Though I had always looked up to my parents and some teachers, I felt that Angel's wife was a woman I should aspire to become.

* * *

"Sakura, I thought I already got a lock of your hair for Christmas a few years ago," Angel asked. He apparently had gotten the package that I left for him on the roof of my house.

"I know. But I cut my hair recently and thought that you would like the extra."

"You cut your hair? How short?"

"It's chin-length."

"I bet you look really cute like that," Angel said wistfully.

I smiled despite myself. Though I didn't want to admit it, part of the reason for getting my hair cut was because of him. "Ino freaked out when I showed it to her. Hinata said that it suited me, but I'm glad that you think I probably look good."

"You have good friends Sakura."

"Thanks Angel. What were your friends like when you lived in your time? I don't think you've really talked about them much except your wife."

"Really? I haven't? My friends would probably be mad at me for neglecting to tell you about them."

"I can't see how they could be mad at you for long," I giggled.

"I don't know. I was a real punk when I was a kid."

"You? A punk? I can't picture that."

"Hey, it's true. It's not like I was born all wise and mature."

"Wisdom comes with time and experience, or so my Dad says. But sorry for interrupting you. What were your friends like?"

"You know, they were a lot like your friends."

"Did you have a guy who was as enthusiastic as Lee? He's a real character."

"Yeah, I did in fact. He always wore these green spandex suits."

"Oh god! That's disgusting," I squealed. The brief image of Lee wearing green spandex horrified me. Lee liked to wear unique clothes, but nothing as bad as spandex.

"If you thought that was bad, you should have seen him if he had any alcohol. Bad combination."

"So he was a bad drunk?"

"More like an out-of-control drunk. But surprisingly it also made him a better fighter."

"What was his name?"

Angel paused. "It's been so long, I don't know if I remember it anymore."

I frowned hearing Angel's words. My gut told me that he was telling a lie. He described the battle between him and Madara down to the last detail and he didn't have a problem remembering anything about his family. I didn't want to press him on the issue. I knew that he probably had a good reason for hiding the information from me. After all, he still hadn't told me what his wife's name was. "That's okay, I understand."

"Thanks. So, what do you want for Christmas this year?"

"I want to see you Angel. I want to be able to meet you."

"I'll consider it. But if I can't give you that, what else would you want?"

I thought about it for a moment, uncertain about what I could ask from him this year. A flutter of bravery beat through my heart and I blurted the first thing that came to mind. "I want to find true love. That's what I want for Christmas."

There was an extended silence from the rooftop as I waited for his reply. I started to regret what I just said, but it was too late to take it back. "You know that it's not that easy. It could be years before you'll actually meet the right one. I'm not sure if I can give that to you this year."

"I know. But it's always nice to dream, right?"

"You're still young. You have all the time in the world ahead of you."

I sighed. "You sound like my father."

"Well, I am old enough to be your father's great-great-great-great grand-something-or-another."

"Even though you don't look a day over sixteen?" I teased.

I could almost picture Angel pouting as he spoke. "It's not like I have a choice."

The stars shone brightly in the night sky. I turned my head towards the brightest star and stared longingly at it. "I wish I could give you a normal life, Angel. If I had the power to give you the life you always wanted, to be able to have a real family and to age with them, I would do that."

"I know Sakura. I know. I wish you could do that too."

I don't know what started it. It might have been the yearning in his voice or the longing in my heart, but I started to cry. I cried because I probably would never get to see Angel, no matter how many times I wished for it. He knew that it would hurt for me to see him because I was also crying for the pain he would have to go through when I grew old and passed away. It wasn't fair. It wasn't fair that Angel had to suffer even now after everything that he had been through.

The next thing I knew, I felt a pair of arms wrap around me as a glowing warmth enveloped the room. I looked down at the arms holding me tightly to see the familiar orange and black patterns I had knitted over a year ago. "Angel?"

"Shhh, it's okay now Sakura. I'm here. Don't cry."

His voice sounded even more soothing next to my ear. I nearly melted into his arms. I wanted to turn to see his face, to finally see the sunshine I had yearned to see.

"Please Sakura. I'm still not ready to let you see me," Angel said as he tightened his hold to prevent me from turning.

I smiled feeling the heat radiating from his body. I was so close. But having his arms around me felt so blissful, this was more than enough. "Will you hold me like this until I fall asleep?"

"Only if you don't peek."

"I promise. This just, it feels nice."

"Yeah, it does."

I closed my eyes enjoying the contact. Somehow I knew that Angel had already given me my Christmas gift. I wasn't sure if he knew it or not, but I couldn't picture myself in anyone else's arms. My heart was filled with so many thoughts of him, no one could compare.

"Your hair does look really good short," Angel said as his breath blew teasingly against my neck.

I blushed, completely beside myself. "Thanks, I'm glad you like it. Angel? I forgot to ask you. What do you want for Christmas this year?"

I felt him rub his hands along my arms as he thought. I knew that whatever he asked for, I would give it to him even if I had to move mountains. "I think I want to hear you sing."

"Sing? What song?"

"How about a Christmas song?"

I thought about all of the Christmas songs I knew by heart. When I found the one that fit perfectly, I smiled. "Have you heard the song, 'Angels We Have Heard on High?'"

"Yeah, I know how that goes. I'd love to hear you sing it, if you would."

And so I sang. I sang with all of my heart and soul. It was the least I could do, and even then I felt it wasn't enough. But he sat and listened as if I was the only person in the world. That night, he held me until I fell asleep as promised. I dreamt many wonderful dreams. The twilight was filled with fantasies of living in a world of shinobi with all of my friends. Ino and Hinata were there wearing strange attire. I even saw Lee wearing a green spandex outfit. That part of the dream, I could have done without. But the most important part was seeing a blond-haired blue-eyed shinobi wearing an orange and black jumpsuit smiling at me with love and affection.

* * *

A/N: I recommend the rendition of "Angels We Have Heard on High" by Sixpence None the Richer. This story is going to be about four chapters long. I hope to have it finished by Christmas, but that depends on how much time I have to write between now and then and whether I can finish the story to my satisfaction.


	2. Deck the Halls

**Chapter 2: Deck the Halls**

Song: Deck the Halls

It was the beginning of another semester of my sophomore year. Only two more years and then I was off to college. I was looking forward to March when I would finally be able to get my driver's license. My birthday seemed like a long ways away with all of the snow covering the ground. Fortunately, the sidewalks had been shoveled and salted. It was only an inch or two of snow, but enough for me to slip and fall if I wasn't careful.

I straightened out my school uniform as I basked in the warmth of the school. I noticed Ino walking towards me with that look in her eye. Knowing Ino, it was one of two things that she was going to tell me. One, so-and-so had finally hooked-up with so-and-so. Or two, there was a new kid in school who was easy on the eyes.

"Sakura, you'll never guess what I just found out?" Ino practically gushed as she hooked her arms in mine and led me down the hall.

"What?"

"There's a new kid in school and he's a real cutie."

So it seemed that option two was correct. "Is this new kid a rival for Itachi?" I said teasing my best-friend.

"He's cute, but he's not sex-on-legs material. Give him a few years then maybe," Ino said before breaking out into a bright smile. "Hey! Maybe if we're lucky, the new kid will be in a few of our classes."

I continued my banter with Ino until we reached homeroom. Sasuke was already sitting next to the window. I smiled at him and he nodded his head in acknowledgement as he usually did. Ino gave me a sly smile, the same one she gave me every time I did anything with Sasuke. It wasn't as if I was the only female in the school that Sasuke ever conversed with on a daily basis. But Ino always liked to make mountains out of mole-holes whenever it concerned Sasuke Uchiha. The day that Sasuke ever asks me out is the day that Ino starts planning my wedding. Don't get me wrong, I certainly wouldn't mind dating him, but I'm not going to fawn over him like one of his love-sick fan girls. If it weren't for Angel, I probably would have become one of those fan-girls constantly vying for Sasuke's attention.

We eventually made our way to Hinata and Ino caught her up to speed with the latest news. We all talked about our Christmas and New Years. We also compared notes on our resolutions for the New Year. It was your typical school-day conversation. Of course, all of that ended once the first bell rang.

"So how long do you think Kakashi is going to take this morning?" I asked.

Ino sighed. "Probably fifteen minutes. But it is a new semester so I'll give him twenty to be safe."

"You know, Mr. Hatake, probably has a good reason why he's always late," Hinata said respectfully.

"Oh Hinata, you're being too kind. I don't think I remember him ever being on time and all of the kids in school always talk about how late he is. One of the seniors thinks that he sits in his office reading some smutty novel in the mornings and that's why he's always late. But you didn't hear that from me."

I rolled my eyes hearing Ino's rant. Somehow, I couldn't picture a teacher bringing pornographic material into school. Least of all someone like Kakashi who, though very laid-back and relaxed, was actually a good teacher and head coach of our winning baseball team.

Our conversation was cut short when to everyone's surprise, Kakashi walked through the door. For the first time in probably the history of Konoha Gakuen, Kakashi Hatake made it to homeroom on time. I was prepared to run for my life in case the end of the world was imminent; because that was the only reason I could think of for why he was punctual. I wasn't the only one thinking those thoughts as the room was overflowing with chatter and most of all, disbelief.

"Yes, I know it's unusual for me to be on time, but could we keep the conversations to a void?" Kakashi asked through the surgical mask that he always wore. "Good, now that I have your attention, I wanted to let you all know that we have a new student enrolling in Konoha Gakuen today. He's new to the area so please wish him a warm welcome to make him feel right at home."

The next thing everyone knew, a boy wearing a long black coat overtop the standard-issued uniform strutted into the classroom and started writing on the chalkboard. Voices were buzzing around me whispering about the new kid. I was stunned into silence. There was something comfortingly familiar about him. It probably was his lively blond-hair or the brilliant blue eyes that attracted me to him, but there was a certain energy surrounding him that was undeniable. He was so similar to a boy I've dreamt of; I started to wonder if he was a representation of what my guardian angel looked like. So rapt was I on my attention to his appearance, I hardly noticed when he finished writing on the chalkboard. The name, Naruto Uzumaki, was scrawled in big bold letters.

The boy turned to face the class and addressed everyone in a loud, annoyingly obnoxious voice, "Listen up everybody! My name is Naruto Uzumaki. My likes are instant ramen; my dislikes are the three minutes it takes to wait for the ramen to cook. And my dream is to help all of my friends!"

When I saw Naruto finish his speech with a thumbs-up almost replicating Lee's signature style, I think I nearly gagged. My earlier visions of him shattered, completely obliterating any awe or respect I had for him. A few of my classmates cheered him on though. He definitely had charisma. I looked over to Sasuke and noticed him glaring at Naruto with an expression I had never seen before. It was as if Sasuke knew him and was angry for some reason.

"Well, that was a very energetic introduction," Kakashi said in his usual monotone. "Now that introductions are over, please take a seat next to Sakura Haruno. Sakura, please raise your hand."

I obeyed and watched as Naruto's eyes brighten upon seeing me. The smile on his face only broadened as he started to make his way towards my desk. What happened next shocked not only me, but the rest of the class as well.

"Kakashi, I can let Naruto have my seat," Sasuke said as he suddenly stood-up.

"Oh? And where would you sit Sasuke?"

"Next to Sakura."

Naruto smirked as he stood in front of the empty desk. "So you want to sit next to Sakura. Is she your girlfriend or something? Afraid that I might steal her away?"

Sasuke's eyes narrowed in irritation. The tension between the two boys was palpable. Of course, everyone in class was talking in hushed murmurs and I thought I heard Ino squeal in delight. It was the birth of what would be eventually known as the greatest rivalry in our school. And one fact that all of the girls in my class, especially Ino, would remember was how it started over who would get to sit next to me. The boys were hyping it up as a sort of 'King of the Hill' competition and the girls were romanticizing it into a love triangle. As eventful as the situation was, all of this was starting to grate on my nerves. Probably because no one asked me my opinion on whom I wanted to sit next to; though I probably would have said neither one at this point just to spite them.

Kakashi interrupted the alpha-male posturing with his sound advice. "Sasuke, that's very generous of you to give-up your seat. But the empty seat next to Sakura is in the middle of the class. I would prefer that our new student be where I can make sure he's paying attention rather than next to the window where he might be distracted. So Naruto, please take the seat next to Sakura."

If looks could kill, Naruto would have been six-feet under based on the glare Sasuke was giving him. I simply shook my head over all of the drama happening first thing in the morning. I was shaken out of my thoughts by an arm draped lazily over my shoulders.

"So, Sakura? What is that Sasuke guy to you anyway? Surely you could do better," Naruto said paying more attention to Sasuke's reaction than to my growing irritation.

I couldn't believe that he was using me to try and bait Sasuke. I did the first thing that came to mind and I threw back my fist and punched him in the face. Seeing Naruto fly out of the chair and land sprawled out into the floor was an exhilarating feeling. At least until I heard Kakashi shout my name sternly.

"Sakura, I expected better from you. Though that certainly was a very nice punch."

"I'm so sorry Mr. Hatake! I don't know what got into me."

Naruto still lay unconscious on the floor groaning in pain. Kakashi looked at his prone form and sighed, clearly not amused. "Since your actions were somewhat preempted, I'll let it slide. But you have to take Naruto to the nurse's office."

"Yes sir!" I stood and kneeled next to Naruto, trying to figure out how I was going to get Naruto to the nurse's office if he didn't wake-up in the next few seconds. Looking up, I could see Sasuke arguing with Kakashi, probably over the seating arrangement. All of the other kids in the class were staring down at the prone boy in morbid curiosity. "Can I get someone to help me pick him up?"

Kiba, who was sitting closest to Naruto, obliged by kicking him in the ribs. I would have chewed Kiba out for using violence to get Naruto up, but I wasn't one to talk and the kick seemed to do the trick.

The blond shot-up to his feet and stared down at Kiba. "What the hell was that for?"

"You must have been faking it if that kick woke you up. Either that or a wuss, but then you were punched out by a girl," Kiba barked.

I could sense another fight about to begin. How many people did this new kid want to tick-off this morning? What ever happened to his dream of helping his friends if he wasn't going to make any? I did the first thing that came to mind. It was a maneuver I had seen Itachi use on Sasuke when we were kids. I grabbed Naruto by the ear and twisted.

"Ow, ow, ow! Damn woman, what are you trying to do?"

Looked like the technique worked so I pinched and twisted a bit harder. "Come on Naruto, follow me. I have to take you to the nurse's office."

I dragged the new kid behind me as I made my way through the halls. I was infuriated, embarrassed and entertained all at once. I didn't know which emotion was more prevalent.

"Ow, Sakura-chan! You're going to rip my ear off," Naruto whined.

Did he just call me Sakura-chan? I barely know him for ten minutes and he's already giving me pet names? The boy was going down. Before I could turn to give him a second helping of my knuckle sandwich, I heard him walking right next to me.

"Man, you've got a really strong grip you know that?" Naruto said as he rubbed his ear.

I stared at him and then back at my hand that was holding Naruto, but was now grasping at nothing. "How did . . . weren't you? When did you get over there?"

"Um, just now," Naruto answered with a shrug. "So . . . you were taking me to the nurse's office?"

"Yeah. Sure, follow me."

We walked down the halls in silence as I lead the way and Naruto looked around the school. He held his hands behind his head in a carefree manner. Now that I was standing next to him, I could notice these three lines across each of his cheeks. Must have been a family marking like Kiba and Chouji had. It almost made him look cute if it weren't for the fact that he had the maturity of a toddler.

"You have a nice school," Naruto said suddenly.

"Um, thanks. I think it was built in only the last five years, so the building is still quite new."

"Sakura, I'm sorry about earlier. I didn't mean to get you mad at me," Naruto said in a deeper, smoother voice that sounded so familiar to me.

I stared back into Naruto's eyes and was at a loss for words at the sincerity in them. They say the eyes were the windows to the soul and his soul looked like it had seen more than I could even comprehend. There was a myriad of emotions swirling through the ocean of his eyes, I couldn't help but get sucked in. "I accept your apology. And I'm sorry that I hit you. I usually don't lash out at people like that."

"It's alright! I was acting like a total jackass back there. If I was you, I would have punched me in the face too," Naruto laughed.

The laugh was infectious and soon I found myself laughing with him. "You know, you can actually carry on a somewhat polite and engaging conversation. I'm shocked."

"I take that as a compliment."

"You should. You know you didn't really give me a good first impression."

Naruto looked sheepish as he replied, "Yeah, sorry about that. And you can tell your boyfriend that I'm sorry for picking on him."

"My boyfriend?" I looked at him confused. "Oh, you mean Sasuke? He's not my boyfriend."

"Hm, that's strange. He defended you like he was. Maybe he wants to be?" Naruto said cryptically as he stared straight ahead. "Ah, looks like here's the nurse's office. Guess this is where we part."

"Take care Naruto. I hope your face doesn't hurt too much where I hit you."

"I'll be fine. Later Sakura-chan," Naruto said before walking into the office.

I shook my head and smiled as I walked back to my class. There was something about that boy. I had never gone through a gamut of emotions as quickly as I have with anyone else. Looks like this would be an interesting year. I hoped that the nurse would be able to help him with his face. The odd thing was I don't think he had a bruise or even any swelling when I dropped him off. I guess I must not have hit him as hard as I thought I did.

Glancing at the clock in the hall, I noticed that the next bell was going to ring soon. I didn't realize that I had taken so long to get Naruto to the nurse's office. I must have been wrapped up in my conversations with him. All of my books were still in Kakashi's classroom, so I rushed back to class, hoping to make it back before the bell.

I was a few doors away from the classroom when the bell rang. Frustrated, I pushed through the tidal wave of students filling the halls. I was afraid that I was going to be late for my next class. I hadn't even packed-up my books in my desk. Relief came in the surprising form of a dark-haired savior who grabbed me by the arm and started walking me to class.

"Sasuke! I still need to get my books."

"No need. I already have them for you," the boy answered as he briefly readjusted my backpack that was bouncing against his. "What took you so long?"

"I was talking to Naruto."

I saw Sasuke stiffen when I mentioned Naruto's name. "Sakura, for your own sake please avoid him at all costs."

Avoid Naruto? Was I hearing Sasuke correctly? "Why?"

Sasuke sighed in agitation. It looked like he wanted to tell me something, but couldn't. I wasn't sure what Sasuke knew, but I had a feeling that he had met Naruto before and knew more about the boy than he was letting on. "Just, just trust me okay?"

"Alright," I answered. I wanted to ask him more about what he knew about Naruto, but he had already escorted me to my next class.

The rest of the school day was strange to say the least. Though I had homeroom and one other class with Sasuke, he insisted on escorting me to each of my classes. The gesture would have been flattering if it weren't for the fact that I felt like I was being used as a bragging tool. It wasn't hard to notice the glares that Sasuke shot at Naruto whenever we passed by him in the halls. Naruto, for his part, only looked at us with an oddly approving look. And here I thought they were rivals. Somehow I ended up with Naruto in all of my classes. Sasuke nearly blew a fuse when he learned I shared classes with the 'blond-idiot,' as Sasuke called him. As if I needed protection from the new kid whom I was able to knocked-out.

I didn't know what it was about Sasuke and Naruto. If I was alone with either one, I had no problem getting along with them and actually enjoyed being with them. But once the two boys were in the same room as each other, they became immature little brats and all I wanted to do was deck them both in the face. Most other girls would have been flattered to be in my position, but I didn't need all of the high drama. It probably had something to do with all of the intellectual conversations I'd been having with Angel at night. Having a guardian angel who worked both as a protector and mentor had its perks.

* * *

My parents were being annoying again as they asked me question after question about school. It was the normal set of 'how was your day?,' 'how were your classes?' and 'did you make any new friends?' I tried not to begrudge them for it; after all, they were my parents. They only asked because they cared. I answered all of their questions and told them about Naruto. They seemed interested in meeting him one day because he sounded like such a character. Of course, my mother was interested in what I had to say about Sasuke escorting me to my classes, much to my father's chagrin.

"You've been friends with him for a long time now, haven't you Sakura?"

"Yeah. It's just that, this is the first time that he's shown any interest in me. Is that normal?"

"Oh, I'm sure that's normal, right dear?" My mother asked my father.

My father looked pained as he answered. "Yes. Boys at this age are still trying to figure things out. But I personally think you're too young to date. There's no rush to start diving head-first into things."

"Dad! Sasuke just escorted me to class; he didn't ask me on a date!" I said embarrassed. At least, he hadn't asked me yet.

Thankfully, the rest of our dinner conversation strayed away from the uncomfortable subject of dating and boys. I quickly finished my chores and homework so I could confide in my must trusted counselor, Angel.

I opened the window enough so my voice would carry to the rooftop. "Hey Angel, how was your day today?"

"I had a great day. It was very entertaining. But how was yours? First day back from school go alright?"

"Yeah, you could say that."

"I sense that you have an interesting story to tell."

"Oh, you have no idea," I laughed. I relayed the events of the day to Angel in greater detail than I did to my parents. I mentioned how infuriated and entertained I was by the new student, Naruto. I think I must have ranted for about twenty minutes straight about the boy. "Did you know he called me Sakura-chan? What kind of nickname is that?"

"Aw, that actually sounds cute. It suits you," Angel cooed.

"It does?"

"Yeah. Sakura-chan. Sakura-chan," Angel repeated as if testing out the sound. "I like that."

When I heard Angel calling me by that name, I couldn't help but blush. I guess the nickname was kind of cute. "You know, if you want, you could call me by that."

"You wouldn't mind?"

"Um, well. Not if it was you."

"But you would if it was that Naruto kid, right?"

"Well, he doesn't really know me as well as you do. I don't think he's quite earned the right to call me Sakura-chan."

"I see your point. Alright then, I'll call you Sakura-chan from now on."

"Thanks Angel."

"So tell me more about your day. What happened after you dropped Naruto off at the nurse's office?"

I told him about Sasuke and how he carried my books for me. Angel listened patiently as I narrated how Sasuke walked me to all of my classes that day. It would have been a sweet gesture if not for the obvious showboating between Naruto and Sasuke. I held nothing back as I mentioned my anger over their use of me as some prize to show off. Girls want to be pursued, not flaunted. "Why do guys always have to fight over things?"  
"It's called testosterone. They can't help it."

"I hope you didn't do something like that."

Angel paused for a moment before answering guiltily. "Um, and if I did?"

"Then I hope your wife knocked some sense into you."

"Oh trust me, she did."

"Good for her. Ugh, maybe that's what I'm going to have to do to Naruto and Sasuke. I swear I'll never understand boys."

Angel chuckled. "Oh Sakura-chan. A little rivalry among men never hurt anyone."

"Yeah right. Wasn't the Trojan War started because of two men fighting over Helen of Troy?"

"Point taken."

"So why do men have to fight each other all of the time? Don't they get tired of that?"

"Sometimes one has to face adversity before they can grow to their full potential. Having someone who can push you to your limits and test your strengths is the best thing you can have. Otherwise you are left wandering without purpose or drive. The strongest men are those who have an opposing force to push them to grow. A good example is like if you had an older sibling you were striving to surpass. Then there are some men who were just born to be rivals."

I listened fascinated with his speech. It was true when they said that men were from Mars and women from Venus. Everything Angel said made sense in its own way. I never would have thought of it in those terms. Maybe that's why men and women were born with different ways of thinking: to balance each other out. A woman was a man's opposing force and vice-a-versa. I mentioned my theory to Angel to gage what he thought.

"I think you've got it Sakura-chan. Men and women represent different spectrum of a dichotomy. Ying and yang, heaven and earth; they are different, but must coexist with the other in order to be part of a whole."

"Heaven and earth. I like that analogy. So who's the heaven and who's the earth?"

Angel said softly in his deep, soothing voice, "You're the heaven and whomever you end up with will be your earth."

I closed my eyes in silent awe. I was someone's heaven. It was a comforting thought. "You know Angel; I think you are my heaven."

"Me? How so?"

"Well, isn't it obvious? You're my guardian angel! I've learned so much from you and you seem to help me whenever I'm in need. If that doesn't qualify you, than I don't know what will."

"What if I was more like the earth instead? There to keep you grounded and give you strength?"

"Then you would be my heaven and earth."

* * *

Typically the school year drags on during the winter months. However, the atmosphere in the school seemed charged with an energy that could only be attributed to one Naruto Uzumaki. He had somehow made friends with everyone in school through either his personality or sheer tenacity. Although he got into many, many disagreements his character was such that no one could really stay mad at him for very long. It was a gift that he had.

For whatever reason, he had to make everything a competition. He tried to out-eat Chouji one day at lunch. That was not a pretty sight. He challenged and lost to Shikamaru in chess. He also tried to race Lee by seeing who could do the most laps around the school. I never thought I'd see the day when someone had more youthful vigor than Lee. But that certainly gave Lee more drive, as if he needed any more. I was afraid that one day I was going to go blind with the enthusiasm they showed towards . . . whatever it was that they were enthused about.

Much to my dismay, Naruto was also widely popular with the females at Konoha Gakuen. Even one of my best-friends, Hinata, had developed a growing crush on the blond. Ino and I tried to encourage her to talk to him and get to know him. But that always unsettled me for some reason. I never liked any of Sasuke's fan-girls and seeing Naruto with fan-girls only infuriated me.

One small blessing was that the two boys never fought over the number of fan-girls they had. But that didn't seem to stop them from fighting over just about everything else. It was a constant contest of who was the better of the two. I've had to restrain myself from knocking some sense into the pair a few times when their rivalry got a bit carried away, such as the time they tried to see who could hit a baseball the furthest. The idiots ended up spending hours out on the field hitting ball after ball until I had to drag them by the ears back into the school building. It was so bad; I even had dreams about the two fighting. But those dreams ranged from silly play to the more frightening ones where they turned into monsters; fighting in front of a giant waterfall. Though strangely enough and true to Angel's words, Sasuke seemed to become stronger the more Naruto pushed him.

And that's what I found myself talking to Sasuke about while he walked me home, a habit he started to pick-up earlier this month. "You know, you've really opened up this semester. I don't think I've ever seen you so enthusiastic about school or sports."

"Hm."

Though Sasuke's been a bit more outgoing, he was still reserved: a trait I had gotten used to over the years. "So have you decided which sport you were going to join this spring? I'm thinking about tennis."

"Baseball."

"I'm surprised you didn't decide to do soccer like your brother. Didn't you get enough of baseball that one time you and Naruto played it for hours straight?" I laughed.

Sasuke's face flushed with embarrassment. "Don't remind me of that. I thought I'd try something different from Itachi. I don't want to try and follow in my brother's footsteps all of the time. I'm going to carve my own path."

"You know, Naruto has really brought out the best in you. You seem less agitated."

"Probably because I'm more agitated at that idiot," Sasuke snorted.

We walked the rest of the trip in relative silence. I admired how some of the early spring flowers were already blooming. The daffodils my mother planted in our front yard looked gorgeous. I was taken away from my admiration of flowers when Sasuke suddenly grabbed my hand.

"Sakura," he started to say with a bit of hesitance. "Your birthday is coming up soon and . . . I was wondering if you wanted me to treat you to someplace nice?"

My eyes widened in shock. Did Sasuke Uchiha just ask me out on a date? Ino had constantly teased me about dating Sasuke, but now that he actually built up the courage to do it, I was at a loss for what to do. So I said the words that I've been practically conditioned to say, "Of course I would Sasuke."

* * *

My mind was still reeling from earlier in the day. I wanted to talk to someone with a clear mind so I opened the window and stuck my head out.

"It's a little late for you tonight. Ino must have been talking your ear off on the phone," Angel said.

"You could say that again."

"Sakura-chan, are you okay? You sound a little out of it."

I didn't know why I was hesitating. A part of me didn't want Angel to know anything about my feelings towards Sasuke and another part wanted to pretend that my heart hadn't already chosen someone and that someone was less than a few feet away from me. "Angel, would you get mad at me if I started dating?"

"No, why should I? I think it'd be great. Isn't that what teenage girls your age do?" Angel said plainly, giving away nothing of his true feelings.

"Well, today Sasuke asked me out on a date."

"That's great! It's what you've been wanting, right? No wonder Ino wanted to talk your ear off. I'm sure she's ecstatic."

Ino was more than ecstatic; she was practically through the roof. Of course, she also wanted to dress me up like a porcelain doll for my first date with Sasuke. That didn't worry me as much as what else she threatened to do that day. "Do you think I could ask you something a little strange for my birthday present?"

"Besides the usual?"

"Yeah, besides the usual, which you still refuse to do anyway. I swear I'm going to install cameras up on the roof one day to try and get a picture of you."

"You can try, but a shinobi knows how to mask his presence and gives nothing away, not even a picture."

"Oh, I forgot that you're a master shinobi," I joked. "Please excuse me if I try to beat your elusive shinobi skills with a digital camera."

"Good luck trying. But what would you want for your birthday instead?"

I sighed remembering my conversation with Ino. "It's about my date with Sasuke. He's going to take me to a nice restaurant for my birthday and I made the mistake of telling Ino the name of the restaurant."

"And that's bad because?" Angel asked, not quite understanding where I was getting with my narration.

"To put it simply, Ino wants to spy on me and Sasuke with all of my friends from school."

"Oh! And you want me to prevent Ino from disturbing your date. I can do that."

"I want Ino no where near us. She means well, but I'm just afraid of what she might do if she sees us. I want to be comfortable on my date, not looking over my shoulder with paranoia. I would ask Sasuke to pick another restaurant, but he said he was going to make the reservations tonight so I'd hate to call him up and tell him that Ino might spy on us and start making him paranoid."

"Hey, it's only fair that the first date with the guy you like is special."

I pouted and sulked when I heard what Angel said. I was tempted to shout at him, 'I don't like Sasuke,' but I knew that would be a lie. I've grown quite fond of Sasuke over the last few months. He's been more open towards me in a way I've never seen before. I suspected it had something to do more with Naruto egging him on than his true genuine efforts, but it was still nice. "Angel, do you think Sasuke's the right guy for me?"

There was a long pause before he finally answered. "I think he could be the one if given the chance. I can't tell you who you should and shouldn't love. But I think you need to get to know him a little better and see what your heart decides."

"And if he isn't the one?"

"Then he isn't the one."

I breathed a sigh of relief. "Alright, I'll go out with Sasuke. But he has to be the one to ask me out."

"If I see him I'll tell him that," Angel joked.

As if that was likely to happen. There was no possible way that any of my friends, least of all Sasuke, knew about Angel. Though I should have known better to ever assume things whenever it came to my guardian angel.

* * *

As promised, Angel was able to keep Ino out of my hair during my date with Sasuke. Ino insisted that it was Naruto's fault for getting them lost or something silly like that, but I knew better. I was pleasantly surprised with how nice the date was. I didn't think that anyone looked better in a suit and tie than Sasuke did. The dinner was fantastic, the atmosphere was wonderful and Sasuke was a true gentleman. He left me that night with a chaste kiss on the cheek and a promise to take me out another night. At this point, we weren't officially a couple; just dating. He still hadn't asked me to be his girlfriend and I didn't have the gall to ask him out.

Throughout this awkward period we were both peppered with questions from our friends about our relationship status. The two main instigators were Ino and surprisingly, Naruto. I had to give a lot of thanks to Naruto though. He helped stave away some of Sasuke's more jealous fan-girls. Gradually, Sasuke and I grew more and more comfortable with the idea of becoming more than just friends. He finally asked me out one evening when we were taking a stroll through the park.

"The stars are really bright tonight," Sasuke said as we took a break on a park bench.

"Yeah, they are. I'm really glad we went out for a walk. The weather's getting warmer and the stars are beautiful."

"Ah."

We sat in content silence before I braved a brief glance at my date. I was shocked to notice him looking at me intently. He had an expression of awe as if he hadn't really seen me until now.

"Your forehead really is quite kissable," Sasuke said in a daze.

"My . . . forehead?" I must have been beet red. I had been constantly teased as a child about my rather large forehead. It had been my dream that some cute guy would compliment it. Angel had tried to compliment me on it, but it was different and more meaningful when you had a guy in front you, looking you in the eye while they professed their endless adoration.

Before I knew it, Sasuke had leaned in and kissed me softly on my forehead. His right hand cupped my cheek tenderly. "I think I understand my feelings now. I think I know why . . . why I should be with you. Sakura, would you be my girlfriend?"

"Yes," I answered absolutely breathless. The atmosphere, his words, the mood; it was all perfect. How could I say 'no' in a situation like that?

What made the setting even more enchanting was the cute smile Sasuke had when he heard my answer. "Sakura, thank you."

We walked back to my house holding hands, both simply content. When he left, instead of the chaste kiss on the cheek he had been giving me, he leaned in and gave me a real kiss. It was my first kiss, simple and sweet. But my heart didn't skip a beat; there weren't fireworks exploding in the sky. It was missing something and I didn't know what it was. I didn't show any of my conflicting emotions to Sasuke as I smiled and wished him a good-night.

It wasn't until I got up to my room and stared at the window that I realized what it was lacking. It was lacking pure passion and love. Sad as it was, I had felt more emotions erupting from my heart when Angel held me that one time in December. Sasuke's kiss paled in comparison. I reminded myself that Angel and I had a more open relationship with each other than Sasuke and I did. I was also sadly reminded that I could never be with Angel in the same way I could with my boyfriend. My boyfriend; it felt silly calling Sasuke my boyfriend.

I wanted to talk to Angel tonight, but it was late and I had to get up early tomorrow for school. I didn't want him to chastise me for neglecting my health. The last time I tried to talk to him this late, he used some strange shinobi technique to put me to sleep. Something I probably could have used tonight. My mind was racing a mile a minute.

"Sakura, stop comparing Sasuke to Angel. It's not fair to Sasuke. Remember, Sasuke's your boyfriend now," I said to reassure myself.

It was best to deal with those issues in the morning. And so that night I dreamt of having a conversation with Sasuke over a park bench. For some reason, I was crying. I was begging Sasuke not to leave me. But despite my pleas, he did. The dream ended with me lying unconscious and alone on the bench. I didn't know if it was a reflection of my insecurities or a warning. I never told Angel about these dreams, but in hindsight, I wonder if maybe I should have.

* * *

A/N: Two more chapters to go! And five more days until I go on vacation!


	3. Wizards in Winter

**Chapter 3: Wizards in Winter**

Song: "Wizards in Winter" by Trans-Siberia Orchestra

I was a horrible girlfriend. No one else seemed to think so but me. Sasuke never complained and our relationship was great. At least, on the outside it felt great. We held hands, kissed and went on dates like normal couples did. But that's about as deep as the relationship got.

I partly blamed it on our busy schedules. Shortly after we started going out, Sasuke joined the baseball team and I started tennis. Our team practices kept us busy during the week and even on some weekends. It seemed the only times we talked were the few minutes we had in the halls, lunch and the rare times we would talk on the phone; if we finished our homework early.

The other wedge in our relationship was more of a problem with me. I still had the bad habit of comparing my bond with Sasuke to the one I had with Angel. I knew it was a problem when I looked forward to having my evening talks with Angel over talking to my boyfriend. It's just that Sasuke didn't hold a candle to Angel. None of the kisses, hugs or private moments I'd had with Sasuke moved me the same way Angel's touch could; and that was only that one time. Closing my eyes, I could almost feel my heart flutter when I remembered the night Angel held me in his arms. When I tried to regain those feelings with any of the times I've spent with Sasuke, there just wasn't the magic.

I had considered voicing these concerns to Angel, but I didn't want him to know how much I missed his touch. Telling Ino was a definite no and when I had asked my parents in a vague, round-about way the only thing my mother said was, "Sakura, you're still young. Give it time." The advice wasn't much help and my father only gave me an apathetic shrug. Gee, thanks Dad. I gave myself a mental reminder to add tampons to the grocery list when it was his week to get groceries.

Thinking that once school was over we would have more time, I quashed my insecurities. Angel had told me that I had to give Sasuke a chance to get to know him. So I fell into place with the routine we had. And though our routine didn't give us enough time with each other, it was sometimes worth it for the rare smiles I received whenever Sasuke saw me after a long day at school.

Before I knew it, summer vacation was already upon us and I was looking forward to having more time to spend with Sasuke. On the last day of class, I found myself sitting in the park with my boyfriend and Naruto.

"Man, we're finally out of school. I can't wait to slack off."

"You slack off in school Naruto. I'm surprised they let you pass all of your classes," I said in annoyance. It was strange how Shikamaru and Naruto could both sleep through class, but get the best grades. I actually had to study and work hard for mine.

Sasuke turned towards Naruto to ask, "So what are you going to do this summer? Walk the earth?"

"For your information Sasuke, I got a job."

"Where? Working at that ramen shop a few blocks away?"

Naruto turned to Sasuke. "Hey! How did you guess? But what are you guys going to do?"

"I'm doing some volunteer work at the hospital," I answered proudly.

"Wow, Sakura-chan! That's awesome!"

I never was able to get Naruto to drop the pet name. At first he did it to spite Sasuke, but he had gotten so used to calling me 'Sakura-chan,' it stuck. Of course, that didn't mean Sasuke wasn't irritated whenever he said it.

"Watch whose girlfriend you're calling 'chan' there," Sasuke said as he draped an arm around my shoulders.

"Sorry about that Sasuke. Old habits die hard," Naruto said as he rubbed the back of his head. "So what are you going to do this summer?"

Sasuke squeezed my shoulder before answering. "I'm going to be going away to a baseball training camp. Coach Kakashi recommended it. He thinks I might even be able to get the interest of a few college recruiters."

"That's great Sasuke," I replied automatically. He had been getting really passionate about baseball ever since he joined the team. But as I thought about it longer, I realized that I probably wouldn't get the time I wished to be with my boyfriend if he was away training.

"Sounds like we're all going to be busy this summer. That sucks," Naruto sighed.

I stared at my hands thinking the same exact thing. "Yeah. It does." I tried not to sound so forlorn, but I failed.

Naruto seemed to sense my mood. "Well, look at the time. I better get going. Take care Sasuke, Sakura. Maybe you two can chat or do whatever it is that you guys do when you're alone."

Sasuke waited until Naruto was completely out of sight before he spoke, "Sakura, are you alright?"

So it seemed Sasuke also picked up on my melancholy. "Yeah, I guess. I was just hoping that we'd have more time to spend with each other over the summer. But if you're going away to training camp, I guess that's not going to happen."

"I know Sakura. I'm sorry. But camp doesn't start until three weeks from now so we have until then."

Three weeks wasn't actually that long when you considered that the summer was only three months long. But I guess it would have to do. "Okay, let's spend as much time together as we can in these next three weeks then. So what do you want to do first?"

"Well, my parents actually wanted me to invite you over for dinner tomorrow. Itachi's also back from school so we're making it a huge family affair," Sasuke said with a blush.

I smiled, finally lifted from my downcast mood. "I'd love to Sasuke."

It was selfish of me to try and take-up all of Sasuke's time. He had his own life and goals that he wanted to fulfill. That and I couldn't possibly say no to him when he had found something that he really enjoyed. I really did have to thank Naruto for helping him open up. I knew I was probably going to be visiting the ramen stand he worked at a lot over the summer.

That night, I talked to Angel about the upcoming dinner. I also talked to him about the insecurities I had been having with Sasuke; how I hardly ever got to see him during the school year and now he was going to be away most of the summer for training camp. His only reply was a common idiom.

"Absence makes the heart grow fonder, Sakura-chan."

If only that were the sole problem I was having. "Did you ever have any problems like this with your wife?"

"Sort of. When we got married, sometimes we had missions that kept us apart for long periods of time. But our relationship was never hurt by any of those absences. Once we reunited, we would always start back right where we left off."

"Kind of like how you were telling me about that training trip you took before you two started dating?"  
"Yeah, kind of like that. Except when I got back from that two-year training trip, I only found myself more in love with her."

I smiled listening to the affection in his voice. His wife was a lucky woman. "Angel, did you ever try falling in love again after your wife died?"

"I did."

"Were you able to?"

Angel paused and answered in defeat. "No."

"She was that special to you, huh?"

"She was the whole world to me."

"Do you think that she might have been reborn?" I asked, trying to lighten his mood.

"If she was reborn, I would find her and stay with her for as long as she lived. I would protect her and watch over her, keeping her safe."

"Would you marry her again?"

"Sakura I . . . I don't know. It's probably impossible for me as I am. But that's neither here nor there and besides, it's getting late," Angel added to divert the topic.

"Yeah, you're right. Goodnight, Angel. I hope you find your wife again and you can be happy with her."

"Goodnight, Sakura-chan. And thanks."

* * *

Dinner was a tense affair at the Uchiha home. I felt like I was being put under the scrutiny of Sasuke's family as I sat rigidly in my chair. Next to me, Sasuke kept a stiff hand on mine as he could feel my discomfort. Normally, I'm relaxed and welcomed in Sasuke's house, but that's because I've only had to deal with Sasuke and his mother. Mikoto loved me. I think she and Ino were conspiring behind my back to get Sasuke and I hitched by the end of the year. Sasuke's father was emotionally detached so I really had no idea what the older male was thinking. He seemed pleased enough since he hadn't ordered me out of his house. I had no doubt if he felt that I wasn't worthy of his son, he would have asked me to leave by now.

I seemed to have an ally in Itachi's fiancée, Yuugao. The older woman looked like she fit right in with the family with her long dark hair and dark eyes. At first glace, I thought she looked stern and detached, but I quickly learned that she had a gentle soul if the sympathetic glances my way were any indication. She was a good match for Itachi. Poor Ino didn't stand a chance.

Speaking of Itachi; his behavior was strange tonight. I thought for sure I would see a friendly face in Sasuke's older brother. We had known each other ever since I was a little girl. But tonight, he was glaring at me in an almost hostile manner. It was as if he disapproved of me dating his brother. I didn't know if it stemmed from a general dislike of me that I never knew about or that he knew that deep down, my heart belonged to someone and it wasn't Sasuke.

Mikoto's wonderful cooking didn't help abate the nervousness I felt around Itachi. I think Sasuke could also tell that his older brother seemed to disapprove of me. When dinner ended, I thought that I would be able to go home relatively unscathed. Oh how wrong I was. Before Sasuke and I could excuse ourselves so he could walk me home, Sasuke's father called him into his office so they could discuss the details about the baseball training camp he was going to over the summer. Yuugao excused herself to help Mikoto in the kitchen, leaving me and Itachi alone in the spacious living room.

I sat nervously across from Itachi not sure of what to say or do in front of this man. But I didn't have to do anything because Itachi spoke first.

"You don't love my brother," Itachi stated more than asked.

Well that was blunt. "I'm only sixteen; I don't know what love is."

"You haven't gone all the way with him yet, have you?"

"What?!? No! What type of girl do you take me for?"

"Good. You haven't taken away his innocence. Just a word of advice: for your sake and for the sake of my brother, end this silly charade. Even if Sasuke can't tell, I can tell that you think about someone else whenever you're together."

My eyes widened as I stared at Itachi. He guessed in less than a few hours what no one else had been able to do, not even Angel. "How did you know?"

"You can't trick my eyes. I'm also very protective of Sasuke. I consider you a friend Sakura so that's why I'm going to make it easy for you. Break it off with my brother."

I didn't know what to say to that. It was shocking, but it was the truth. I just didn't want to hurt Sasuke. "What about Sasuke's feelings?"

"He'll get over it. Just tell him the truth."

"That's easier said than done."

"Sakura, I'll be honest with you. I really don't know what Sasuke sees in you. He used to tell me everything, but that was before I went off to college. He didn't start gaining an interest in you until after I moved out to the dorms. We rarely talked, but the times we did, he seemed more on edge. Whenever he talked about you, it was more as an obligation than out of affection. I don't know what he was going through at that time, but it was almost as if someone was forcing him to think about you and talk about you."

I wrung my hands uncomfortably in my skirt and looked down at my shoes. I was too embarrassed to look Itachi in the eye. I had a feeling that whatever magic Angel used to get Sasuke to notice me four years ago had some side effects. I never asked what Angel did to Sasuke and after hearing Itachi's story, I guessed whatever it was it wasn't voluntary. "I'm sorry."

"Do you care about Sasuke?"

"Yes, I do," I answered honestly. "I really want to make Sasuke happy."

"But he's not the one who can make you happy," Itachi added.

I must have looked like a gaping fish with the way my mouth was hanging open. It was true. Sasuke was a great boyfriend and though I didn't mind being with him, he couldn't make me happy the way Angel did. "No, he isn't."

"Then you know what you must do."

Of course, that was assuming that I could get Angel to take a chance with me. "Itachi, how should I go about making the one I love notice me? He doesn't think he can be with me."

"Is he older?"

"Yeah."

"Wait until you're legal."  
"Thanks Itachi," I said unenthused about the prospect. That was less than two years away. And that still didn't really overcome the fact that Angel was going to appear like a sixteen-year-old forever.

"By the way, the advice I just gave you in no way applies to your blonde-haired friend."

"Ino?"

"Yes, that girl. I know about her silly little crush on me. I'd appreciate it if in return for my advice you would find some way to get your best-friend infatuated with someone else."

"You know about Ino's crush on you?" I asked in disbelief. What else did this guy know?

"Unfortunately," Itachi shuddered.

"Hey! Ino's not that bad."

"Sakura, she's six years younger than me. I prefer women my own age or older. Besides, Yuugao and I are very committed to each other."

"Yes, she does seem to compliment you well. You know Itachi; I want to thank you for confronting me with this. At first, I was afraid of whether or not I would get your family's approval and when you gave me those looks like I was some lizard Sasuke brought home to keep, I wasn't sure what to think. But now, I feel so much lighter."

"I'm glad. Just be sure to let him down gently. I'm in town for the rest of the week so he'll have someone to talk to."

Shortly after I finished my heart-to-heart with Itachi, Sasuke came out of his meeting with his father. He held my hand as we walked back towards my house. He certainly wasn't making this easy on me. I didn't know how to start this conversation. It wasn't as if I had any experience breaking up with a guy. Sasuke was my first boyfriend. But a girl had to do what a girl had to do.

"Sasuke, how did you think the dinner went tonight?" It was always best to start off with small-talk.

"It went alright," Sasuke paused as he collected his thoughts. "I don't know what was wrong with Itachi though. Out of everyone there, I thought he would be the one who would welcome you the most."

"I think I know what was wrong."

"What?"

I stopped walking to look at Sasuke squarely in the eyes. "First off, I want you to know that you've been wonderful to me and it's not your fault."

"Wait a minute Sakura. What's with this 'first off,' speech here? What did Itachi tell you?" Sasuke asked getting agitated.

"He told me the truth. It's something that I've been trying to deny and have been keeping from you because I sincerely wanted to give us a try."

Sasuke's eyes widened as he listened to what I said. "You're breaking up with me?"

"Yes, but I want you to know why and also that it's not your fault. It's mine," I pleaded as tears were threatening to spill. I truly didn't want to hurt Sasuke, but I knew I had to.

"Is it because I'm going to be away all summer for training camp? I can pull out if you want, I don't have to go this year."

"No! Please don't do that. The training camp is only part of it," I took a deep breath. "I'm sure you know that I don't exactly like how we barely get to see each other between school, sports and other obligations. But that's only part of the reason why I think we need to break-up. The truth is . . . I'm in love with someone else. Itachi only helped me realize that. And it's really not fair to you Sasuke. I hate that I can't set aside my feelings and only think of you, but I just can't. I'm so sorry Sasuke."

Sasuke didn't speak at first. He looked at me a bit stunned, but he remained quiet as he gave me a tissue to dry the tears that were streaming down my cheeks. I graciously took it and tried to clean my face. "Can I ask who it is? The one you're in love with?"

"You've never met him. It's a little complicated to explain, but he's been with me for as long as I can remember. He's always looked after me and protected me. He knows almost everything about me. I consider him my guardian angel. I know it sounds pretty silly, right?"

To my surprise, Sasuke shook his head and looked at me as if he knew who I was talking about. "I understand Sakura. I can't say that I'm thrilled that you're breaking up with me. I think I truly liked you. But if you're in love with someone else, then I guess there's nothing I can do about that. Thank you for telling me the truth."

It was bittersweet as we both kissed one last time as a couple. I owed him that much. But I was glad that I finally told him my true feelings. It was the first time I told anyone who I loved. I didn't realize how much of a burden it had been keeping all of those feelings bottled up inside. I was also eternally grateful to Sasuke who seemed genuinely happy for me. He walked me back to my house for what would probably be the last time. I gave him a hug and a chaste kiss on the cheek.

My father was up waiting for me when I got home. He greeted me and gave me a kiss goodnight before heading up to bed. I had to tell my parents tomorrow that Sasuke and I weren't a couple anymore. I'm sure that my father would be having a private celebration honoring the fact that his young daughter is no longer within the clutches of a teenage boy. But he means well. As soon as I got to my room, I opened the window.

"Angel, are you up there?"

"Yeah, I'm here. So how was the dinner? Did Sasuke's parents like you?"

"It went well. Sasuke's parents were very nice and courteous. I got to see Itachi again and . . . Angel, I have something I have to say," I paused to muster up some courage. "I broke-up with Sasuke tonight."

"What? Why?"

"I realized that I was in love with someone else."

"Who?"

I smiled as I answered, "You."

Angel choked back a gasp. "Sakura-chan, you know that I can't age. I don't want to end up hurting you."

"I know, but that still doesn't change the way I feel. I know that you may never show me what you look like and I may never get to truly be with you; but I just had to let you know."

"I don't know what to say."

"You don't have to say anything. Just know that I love you and probably always will."

I didn't expect Angel to respond in kind yet. In fact, it wouldn't surprise me if I never heard him say those three words because he was afraid they would give me hope for something completely unattainable. But none of that mattered to me because I felt free.

* * *

Summer flew by faster than I remembered. It probably had something to do with all of the volunteer work I was doing at the hospital. Sasuke and I were still friends despite the break-up. Naruto and Ino were both upset that we hadn't lasted. It was hilarious when I told Ino though; I never thought I could find a subject that would shut her up for an entire day. Naruto didn't take it too badly. He almost seemed to have seen it coming as he shrugged and said his condolences. He was a great friend to have over the summer as I frequented the ramen stand he worked at. It also didn't hurt that he gave me an employee discount.

Before I knew it, I was starting my junior year at Konoha Gakuen. Ino found another obsession in a new student named, Sai. I think she was finally getting over her Itachi-craze. I never did tell her that she would never gain Itachi's attention. I knew better than to hurt the pride of my best friend. The school year was much like last year's, except Sasuke didn't walk me to all of my classes. It was actually refreshing. I had forgotten what it was like to be independent.

About the only major change was that I think Naruto developed a crush on me. Since I told him I broke-up with Sasuke, he's been looking at me differently. I sometimes would catch him staring at me when he thought I didn't notice. It was flattering and Naruto was cute, but he wasn't Angel. I didn't have the heart to tell him that he probably didn't have a chance with me. Angel never verbally reciprocated the love I had for him, but our conversations seemed to brighten up more after I told him my true feelings. It was as if a heavy cloud hanging over our heads had been lifted. Oddly enough, I still felt that there was so much he was keeping from me.

Another strange thing was that I got to know Sasuke more now that we weren't dating. I don't know if it was the fact that I showed him a part of me that I've never shown anyone before or that he felt more comfortable simply being my friend. He always tried to include Naruto in our conversations, making us an interesting trio to say the least. I think it was mainly because Sasuke wanted to share a part of himself with his friends. I was proud at how much he had opened up. In fact, one night Sasuke emailed me a news article that really caught my attention.

"Angel, did you know that NASA shot a rocket into the moon?"

"Why?"

"They were hoping to find water on the moon."

"I hope that they didn't piss off the monster living in it. That would royally suck."

I laughed. "You're the only person I know who thinks there's a monster inside the moon. Most people believe there's a rabbit living on it making mochi or that the moon is made out of cheese."

"Hey, I have it on good authority that the moon houses a ten-tailed monster. If the earth gets attacked, don't say I didn't warn you."

"But what do I have to fear? You're there to protect me, right?"

Angel was silent for a long time. "Sakura-chan, I'd give my life to protect you and if the Juubi were to ever escape, know that I will save you. But I don't even know what that creature is capable of if it were to be released. My wife theorized that my immortality was linked to the Juubi, but I don't know how that works."

I never thought of Angel being capable of being beaten by anyone or anything. But I remember how he mentioned that in his past, before he became immortal, he was quite fallible. "I know you still haven't figured out how you became immortal or what jutsu it was that caused it, but do you think that it's possible whatever NASA did to the moon might help you? I mean, what if they killed the Juubi?"

Angel chuckled. "That's too funny Sakura. I can almost picture it you know. Instead of being taken down by the most powerful ninja known to man, the Juubi is taken out by a bunch of geeks from NASA who wanted to shoot a rocket into the moon."

"Well, you have to admit, technology has gotten quite sophisticated over the years," I pouted.

"True. Point taken. Even if I were immortal, I wouldn't want to go up against a machine gun."

"Would that even kill you?"

"I don't know and I'm not going to find out. I will say that having lived as long as I have, technology is really amazing. If my shinobi village were still around, I don't think we'd stand a chance against any army in today's world. In fact, if we had today's technology, I think my village could have defeated the Kyuubi."

"Well, the human race had to find a way to defend ourselves somehow, right?"

"Yeah, you're right. I just didn't envision that when I let the shinobi system dissolve on its own, mankind would develop a new deadlier, more effective solution."

"Mankind has always been good at adapting. Especially when it comes to the primal instinct of kill or be killed."

"A part of me is saddened to think that the peace that I brought about so long ago is no more. There are so many wars and conflicts in the world."

He was so idealistic. That was probably one of the many reasons why I loved him. "I'm at peace. All of my friends are living in peace and this city hasn't had any conflicts in eons. Even if parts of the world are in conflict, there are parts of the world where people have no quarrels with one another. So peace is still here."

"You're right Sakura-chan. Thanks for making me feel better."

Though I wished I could do more. I wanted to make him a mortal again, to be able to live a normal life and love whomever he wanted to without any fear. I hoped that the Juubi was killed and Angel was no longer tied to the beast. I just wanted him to be able to love me back.

* * *

Soon the air outside was getting colder and colder as old man winter decided to peek his head out. It was only a few more weeks before Christmas. I smiled thinking about the gift I was going to ask from Angel this year: a kiss. I only hoped that he would let me have it. I even planned to close my eyes through it so he wouldn't reveal what he looked like. I was so lost in my thoughts, I didn't notice the person in front of me until it was too late as I bumped into somebody.

"Whoa, careful there Sakura-chan, you might want to watch where you're going," Naruto said as he steadied me.

"Thanks Naruto. I guess I spaced out a bit," I said as I raised my head to meet his eyes. "Say Naruto, did you hit a growth spurt? You look taller."

"I am?" Naruto asked dumbfounded.

"Yeah. I think you were only a few inches taller than me, but now you look like you're about a foot taller."

Naruto put one hand on the top of his head and put the other on top of mine, trying to compare our heights. He stared at the height difference in rapt fascination. "Well I'll be . . . I did grow."

"Hey, it's only natural; boys sometimes continue to get taller at this age."

I felt Naruto's hands grasping my arms almost desperately. He had a stunned look as he locked his haunted blue eyes on mine. "Sakura I . . . never mind." And just as quickly as he grabbed me, he let go and walked to class without another word.

I don't know what it was about that exchange, but something felt strange. It was as if he wanted to tell me some deep, dark secret. My heart wouldn't stop beating a mile a minute. I tried to tell myself that my face was flushed because of Naruto's sudden movements and not because I felt a connection with him when he held me. Angel was the only one who could elicit those responses from me and the connection was much stronger, or so I told myself.

Even though I was convinced that Naruto couldn't possibly compare to Angel, there was still this air around us that was undeniable. It was frustrating. I don't know how the lovable goofball even entered into my mind. He was so different from me, but I could feel completely comfortable whenever I was with him. Not only that, whenever I caught fleeting glimpses of him staring at me or letting his fingers linger on mine whenever we handed each other notes in class, my heart would soar.

When I told Angel about my growing feelings towards Naruto, he became unusually silent. "This is the same guy that you said wasn't worthy of calling you, Sakura-chan, right?"

"Yeah, the same guy."

"I don't know what to say."

I pursed my lips in confusion. Angel was never this uncertain. "Do you think it's a good idea to give Naruto a chance like I did Sasuke? Or do you think it's all just going to end the same way?"

"Honestly, I don't know how it will end. Look, it's getting late. Maybe we should talk about this tomorrow," Angel said with a tinge of confusion.

"Yeah, it is getting late. Angel? I know I'm talking about Naruto a lot with you, but I still love you."

"I know Sakura-chan, I know."

I closed the window and sighed as I went to turn in for the evening. As I turned off the lights to my room, I noticed that the light in the kitchen was on. I dragged my feet downstairs where I was surprised to see my mother still up, wide-awake.

"Mom?"

"Sakura, you're not asleep yet?"

"No, not yet. Why aren't you asleep?"

"I forgot to take the pork out of the freezer. I'm making pork chops tomorrow for dinner. If I don't take them out now, they'll never defrost in time."

"You could always microwave them if they're still frozen."

"True, but the microwave always seems to cook small parts of it and I don't really like that."

I laughed. My mother always was peculiar about how she cooked her food. She was a great cook and a great teacher, but I always tended to take short-cuts that she didn't really approve of whenever I cooked.

"So Sakura is there anything on your mind you want to talk about?"

I looked at my mother in shock. "How did you know?"

"I'm your mother. Come; let's sit on the couch where it's more comfortable." We both moved to the couch and I plopped down next to her. "So what's on your mind?"

"I'm having some issues sorting out some feelings for two guys."

"Oh? Anyone I know?"

"Mom!"

"I was just being curious. But what sort of conflict are you going through?"

I played with the hem of my pajamas as I answered. "I've been in love with this one guy for as long as I can remember. He's my first love. It's funny because he's the reason why I broke-up with Sasuke. But recently, I've developed a crush on another one of my classmates. I don't think that I love my classmate as much as I love the first guy, but I want to give him a chance. The thing is I'm afraid that if I do, it will end up like my relationship with Sasuke where I never fully had my heart into it. What do you think Mom?"

My mother paused for a moment as she processed everything I told her. "I think it wouldn't hurt to give your classmate a chance. You say you fear that it might end up like your relationship with Sasuke, but what if it doesn't? You really won't know what your heart will feel until you let that person in. Who knows, maybe you'll find that your feelings for your classmate will grow."

I nodded my head. "Okay, so say I do end up dating my classmate. What if I find myself in a situation where I love both the classmate and my first love equally?"

"Then you choose whomever your heart tells you."

I smiled, grateful for the advice and reached out to hug her. "Thanks Mom. But I'm not going to be the one to ask my classmate out. He has to do it."

"As it should be," my mother laughed.

* * *

The next day at school, I found myself glancing over at Naruto when I thought he wasn't looking. I tried to be discreet about it, but I think Sasuke caught me a few times. I didn't know what I needed to do to help give Naruto some hints that I liked him. Last time I had Angel's help in getting Sasuke's attentions and that took a few years. I didn't want to do the same in case there were any negative side effects like there were with Sasuke.

I was so lost in thought; I almost didn't notice the note that landed in my lap. Looking around the classroom, I caught Naruto dozing off a few seats away. Disappointed, I craned my head around to find Sasuke looking at me pointedly. So the note came from Sasuke. I opened it curious as to what he wrote. It was short and simple: _Meet me after school at the big field near your house_.

I didn't know what Sasuke wanted to meet me for, but I wasn't going to turn down the offer. Sasuke was my friend. I went through the rest of my day as I normally did. The only exception was my occasional moments with Naruto where I tried to flirt with him. I managed to get him to blush a few times and give me that look as if I was the most beautiful person in the world. He hadn't gotten the courage to ask me out yet, but it was still early. I left school a bit lighter on my feet.

I think I skipped all the way to the field Sasuke referred to in his note. As I was walking, it started snowing lightly. I wrapped myself in my winter coat as I twirled around in the falling snow. I finally found Sasuke standing in the middle of the field. I ran to him cheerfully.

"Hey Sasuke! I got the note you left. So what did you want me to meet you out here for?"

Sasuke seemed to look around behind me for something before he finally responded by putting his hands firmly on my shoulders. "Sakura, I can't hold back anymore. I've tried to get over you, but I don't think I can hide my feelings any longer."

"What?" I was confused over Sasuke's actions. I thought it was pretty clear that we were just friends. What the hell was he trying to do?

"I want us to get back together."

Before I had time to tell Sasuke I wasn't going to get back together with him, he pulled my face towards his. Unfortunately, I was too slow to stop him as I found myself kissing my ex-boyfriend. I tried to push him away, but he was too strong. The next thing I knew, I felt Sasuke's body pushed violently away from me.

What I saw next utterly shocked me. Naruto was standing in front of me glowering over Sasuke. He was emitting this heavy aura that I had never felt before. His muscles were tense as his eyes never left Sasuke, who was slowly getting back on his feet.

"Get away from Sakura-chan," Naruto said in a deep voice.

My eyes widened when I heard Naruto talk. It wasn't the usual boisterous voice I associated with Naruto. Instead, it sounded almost exactly like Angel's voice.

Sasuke smirked. "What? Is Sakura your girlfriend now? Afraid that I could steal her away?"

"You had your chance Sasuke. Even with all of the help I gave you, she rejected you."

"And you're the better choice? You're too chicken-shit to even tell her the truth!" Sasuke screamed as he charged at Naruto.

I yelled at both of them to stop fighting, but it fell on deaf ears. I was afraid that they were going to hurt each other, but what happened next was something I never dreamed could happen.

As Sasuke aimed his fists at Naruto's head, Naruto blinked out of sight and then reappeared behind Sasuke. I saw Sasuke's hands get twisted behind him as Naruto held him down.

"Why bother trying to fight me, you know you don't stand a chance," Naruto said.

Sasuke didn't look like he was fighting against the grip Naruto had on him; instead, he had his look on his face as if there was something up his sleeve that was going to turn the tide in his favor. "So, how does it feel having the jealousy card played on you?"

Naruto's eyes widened as he loosed his grip on Sasuke. This gave Sasuke the opportunity to get out of Naruto's hold and punch the stunned boy in the face. I watched in horror as Naruto fell down.

"That's for all of your crap I've had to put up with for the past four years!" Sasuke said in satisfaction. "I'm getting sick of watching you two dancing around the truth. Tell her, Naruto. Tell her what you really are."

I stared at Naruto who looked up at me from the ground. A faint bruise was forming where Sasuke punched him in the face. "Naruto, what is Sasuke talking about?"

Naruto opened his mouth as if he was going to say something, but then shut it again as he diverted his eyes from me. The next thing I knew, he disappeared in a swirl of leaves. Sasuke looked indifferent as if he had seen Naruto do that trick before. I looked to Sasuke who gave me a sheepish look and then back to the space where Naruto was. I didn't know everything about what mitigated the fight, but one thing I knew for sure: Naruto was Angel.


	4. Christmas Canon

**Chapter 4: Christmas Canon**

Finale: "Christmas Canon" by Trans Siberia Orchestra

**Revised 12/29/2009

* * *

**

Sasuke told me everything, at least everything that he knew. He told me about how he first met Naruto four years ago and all of the events that occurred afterwards. Sasuke had also heard the stories about the shinobi world, Madara, the Juubi and about Naruto's wife. He even knew that Naruto was my guardian angel. It was so much to take in, but I had more important things to do right now, such as finding Angel or to be more accurate, Naruto.

I raced to the ramen stand where he worked to see if he was there, but he was nowhere to be found. The snow was starting to stick as I left footprints in the ground. The sky was darkening so I decided to go back home to check the last place he could be: on the roof. I made it to my room in record time, panting as I flung the window open. I hadn't even bothered to take off my shoes and coat.

"Angel, are you there?" My calls were met with silence. "Naruto? Please answer me. I want to talk to you."

Still no answer. Was he gone? He couldn't be. He said that he would protect me forever. He said that he would always keep me safe. I looked out the window, an idea suddenly forming in my head. Snowflakes were starting to drift into my room inviting themselves into the warm abode. Carefully, I stepped onto the window ledge and swallowed hard as I caught a brief glimpse of the ground below. I knew I was taking a huge risk, but I trusted my guardian angel. He'd always been there to save me and he always would. So I closed my eyes and jumped.

The next thing I knew, I was held close to a warm body. The touch and smells were so familiar. It was the same feeling as when Angel had held me in his arms. Braving a peek, I slowly opened my eyes and saw Naruto staring back at me. I smiled and wrapped my arms tightly around him.

"That was really foolish of you Sakura-chan. What if I wasn't here? What if I couldn't make it in time?" Naruto said tightening his grip on me.

"I knew you'd catch me. Because I trust you with my life, my love . . . my everything."

"There's no convincing you otherwise, is there?"

I shook my head. "No there isn't. Will you tell me everything now?"

"I will, but not here. We should probably move or the neighbors will start talking," Naruto said as he readjusted my body in his arms.

I looked around my surroundings for the first time since Naruto caught me and noticed that his feet were sticking to the side of my house. Before I had time to ask him about it, Naruto sprang off the wall and then I felt like I was flying. It was amazing. Naruto was jumping from rooftop to rooftop as if he were playing hopscotch in the playground. It was an impossible feat for an average human, but not to Naruto. I smiled in glee as I felt the wind and snow fly past me. The trip was a short one as he stopped at the top floor to his apartment. He set me down gently on the ground and let me look out onto the horizon as he unlocked his door. We were probably twenty stories up, but he somehow managed to jump all the way up here. He was amazing.

Naruto cleared his throat to get my attention. "Um, would you like to come in?"

"Thanks, I'd love to." I had never seen Naruto's apartment. I was curious about how he lived. His apartment was Spartan. There were empty ramen bowls in one corner of the room and a couch that had the orange and black sweater I knitted draped across the back. A few scrolls in ancient writing were tucked in another corner of the room. But the things that struck me the most were the pictures plastered all over the walls. There were so many pictures. Most of them were of me; me as a baby, as a child and as a teenager. But there were also pictures of all of our friends at school.

While I had been admiring his apartment, Naruto had brewed some tea and offered me a cup. He cleared off the couch so we could both sit. "So you found me out."

"Sasuke told me what he knew. Why did you run away from me?"

"I was afraid of what you might think."

"I'm still trying to figure it all out honestly. It's a lot to take in so soon. But Naruto . . . is Naruto your real name?"

"Yeah. I was born as Naruto Uzumaki."

"And this whole time you were also known as Angel, right?"

Naruto nodded. "I was too scared to tell you who I really was. Everything about you is so confusing."

"How so?"

"Sakura-chan, do you know what my wife's name was?"

"What?"

"Sakura Haruno. Your name. It was no coincidence I found you that night. It was fate. I had finally found my wife and she was reborn into this world as you."

Now I understood why we both had an unexplainable connection with each other and why I always had an affinity for guys with sunshine bright hair and brilliant blue eyes. Because they all resembled Naruto, my husband from another time and another life. "And so you watched over me all of this time, willing to let me live my life oblivious to who you really were."

"Yeah."

"What changed? Why did you finally decide to talk to me after all of those years, why show yourself to me?"

Naruto tentatively brushed his hand against mine as his eyes bored deep into my soul. "Because I'm an idiot when it comes to you: a complete, utter fool. I admit that I was a bit jealous of Sasuke, but I also think I must be a masochist for reaching out to you when I knew in my head it wasn't a good idea."

"But your heart choose for you, didn't it?"

"My heart always chooses you Sakura-chan. I can't help it."

I smiled despite how silly his words were. They were heartfelt and oddly touching. I put my hand in his as I boldly asked my next question. "So . . . have you figured out whether or not you want to be with me; to marry me again?"

Naruto looked at me thoughtfully, trying to form the words in his head before he responded. "Before I can do that, I have to be sure. There have been a lot of changes in the last few weeks that it's almost overwhelming. Sakura, do you remember when you told me about the rocket being shot into the moon?"

I nodded my head. "You think that the Juubi was killed?"

"He might have been. I didn't notice anything immediately after it happened so I didn't think much about it. But there have been some changes. They've been small, but being essentially the same man for hundreds of thousands of years, one small change is significant. You were the one to notice it first when you commented that I had grown taller. Since my fight against Madara, I hadn't grown an inch. Then I started to notice that my wounds weren't healing instantaneously like they previously had. I think . . . I think I'm becoming mortal."

My eyes lit-up with pure joy hearing those words. It was what I had wanted for him for a long time. "That's great Naruto! That means you can age now, you can live a normal life."

"I still don't know if I'm completely mortal. I probably won't know for several years until I start visibly aging. I'm just afraid of taking this chance and then finding out later that I'm going to outlive you."

"I don't care about any of that Naruto. Can't you see? Weren't you the one who said I should take a chance with Sasuke? Weren't you the one who told me that any guy would be willing to date me? Well, I want you. I've always wanted you. I want to take a chance with you. Why do you think I ask to be able to see you every Christmas? Why do you think I enjoy our late-night conversations? You're the one who's been there for me since I was a baby. You're the one who caught me when I fell out of the big oak tree back when I was five. You know all of my secrets and everything about me. So why won't you let me love you?"

"Sakura-chan, I want that. I want it more than anything in the world. But I'm afraid. I don't know if I could stand seeing you age right before my eyes while I stay young. I don't know what I'd do if I had to live even a day without you after finding you again for so very long."

"You said so yourself, you think you might be mortal. Please Naruto, I know you're scared, but I don't want to live my life without you. Just take this chance. I promise you no matter what happens, it'll work out. We'll find a way. I'm sure we will." He had to say 'yes.' He just had to. I wouldn't know what to do with myself if he rejected me.

Naruto placed a hand on my cheek, giving me with a tender look. "I never could say no to you back then and I don't think I can even now. I knew when I first saw you as a baby, that you were you. It was like falling in love all over again. I was prepared to watch you age, get married, have kids and pass away at a ripe old age. I was ready to watch you fall in love with another man, preferably Sasuke because he deserves happiness. I was even ready to make it so you never saw me, never knew I existed. But you were stubborn back then and you're stubborn now. Heck, I'm stubborn.

"I should have known better than to think that I could ever hide from you. I don't know what it is about you, but you make me want to see you more and more each day. I wasn't happy simply watching you in the shadows. And when I took the leap to pose as a student at your school, I knew that I was diving deep into trouble. But it was worth it being able to see you everyday, to touch you. You are my gift Sakura-chan: a wonderful, beautiful gift."

My heart melted listening to him talk. If I wasn't already in love with him, I think I would have fallen for him right then and there. "I'm glad, Naruto. I can't believe you were willing to watch me marry another man. Sasuke told me how you convinced him to date me. He told me all of the sweet things you said about me. All of my life you've been there for me and now I want to be there for you."

Naruto pulled me in for a hug and I relished the feeling. It was just like when he held me last year, but even better. I could feel the longing and sincerity in his touch. He pulled me close as if I was going to float away at any minute. "I love you Sakura, I love you so much."

It was bliss hearing those words from him. I didn't think I could feel any lighter than I did, but I felt like I was dancing on air. Maybe that's why he was holding me so tightly, to remind me that this was real; he was real. I smiled and whispered into his ear, "Do you know what I want for Christmas this year?"

"What?"

"A kiss from you."

It was a request he gladly fulfilled. And I found myself feeling encased in warmth so pure, I couldn't picture anything more perfect. Like a soft melody, I was enchanted. The kiss was everything they say kisses were supposed to be: fireworks, sweet tears, joyous laughter and more. I knew from that day on, Naruto was the only one for me. I had found my heaven and earth.

* * *

"Jiro sweetie, look at the camera. Smile!" I snapped the picture quickly before Jiro could turn his head away.

"Mommy! Look, look. Gift!"

"That's right sweetie, it's a Christmas present. Can you say Christmas?"

"Kris . . . mass," the two-year old tried to repeat his mother's words.

"Good job Jiro. You're so smart. Isn't he smart Sakura-chan?"

"Well he is our son, Naruto. Though I'm surprised he hasn't started eating ramen and walking up the walls yet."

"I'm waiting until he turns five before I teach him how to do that," Naruto said before he turned to his son. "Hey Jiro, do you want Daddy to teach you how to mold chakra?"

"Naruto! You wouldn't," I asked in disbelief.

Naruto laughed. "Of course not, I was just pulling your leg."

"Mommy, mommy! I want chakra!" Jiro said excitedly as he crawled into my lap.

I shot Naruto a look, but quickly replaced it with a smile. I knew he would never do anything to Jiro that would put him in danger. Watching Naruto play with Jiro was like a dream come true. Ten years ago when we finally started dating, we didn't know if we'd be able to get this far. Naruto struggled for years to get over his anxiety of finally living a real life. He fretted constantly over whether or not he would age. Sasuke was a huge help getting him to admit to himself that he wouldn't be able to stay away from me, even if he tried. I had to hand it to Sasuke though, he knew how to push Naruto's buttons and direct him to do the right thing. Must have been revenge for when Naruto manipulated him into dating me.

But it was all worth it as we got married shortly after graduating from college. I looked at Jiro and remembered how we didn't even know if we could have children. Naruto wasn't completely convinced he could have kids since he had never fathered any children before. Jiro's birth gave Naruto the assurance he needed that he was finally free of his immortality.

"Sakura-chan," Naruto said tenderly as he held out a present. "Merry Christmas."

I took the tiny box and handed him the present I wrapped for him. "Merry Christmas Naruto."

Naruto smiled and started to unwrap the gift. I watched him carefully as he pulled the wrapping off. Before he could open the box I gave him, he looked to me, "Aren't you going to unwrap your gift?"

"I will after you unwrap yours. I want to see your reaction," I urged him.

Naruto just shrugged and continued to open the box. He was confused at first as he held a thin white plastic strip with a plus sign on it. When he pulled out the instruction booklet and read it, his eyes widened as he looked to me. "You're pregnant!"

I nodded and smiled. "Yes, I'm pregnant."

"Jiro, you're going to be a big brother!" Naruto pulled our son in for a hug. "Sakura-chan, thank you so much. I love the gift."

He held me tightly as we all sat together as a family that Christmas morning. I never got around to opening the present he got me or pulling out the scarf I had knit him for his real gift. None of that mattered though. Christmas wasn't about the gifts, the tree or the decorations. To us, it was more than that. It was about love and family. Every day with him was a blessing; every Christmas a miracle. The simple things in life were more meaningful to us because we lived. We had each other and that was all we needed.

* * *

A/N: Hope you enjoyed the story. Was going to start vacation tomorrow, but my flight has been cancelled due to inclement weather. Will have to start it on Monday. :P

A/N2: Revised this last chapter with a bit more text to help flesh out the story and dialouge. I rushed it the first time I wrote this chapter so now that I have a little more time, I decided to go back and add a few more sentences here and there. And if you're wondering what Naruto got Sakura for Christmas, it's something shiny and expensive.


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